The 2024 Olympics are to be held in Paris, France, for the first time in over 100 years! Olympic sports include athletics, team sports, climbing, surfing, swimming, tennis, skateboarding, and even breakdancing!
The Olympics are always fun to watch, and sport is full of exciting science, from the importance of aerodynamics and forces of motion to the all important nutrition and fitness.
The 2024 summer of sport is a great time to explore sports science with demonstrations, science investigations and STEM projects.
Olympic Themed Science Activities For Kids
Magnet climbing wall
Question - can you build a mini climbing wall with a pulley system?
Climbing was new to the Olympics in 2020! Learn about the sport by building a mini climbing wall. Our climber is powered by magnets and a mini pulley system.
The best running surface
Question - Does the type of ground make a difference to how fast you can run?
Record how long it takes to run 25 metres ( or any other distance ) on flat ground, grass and sand ( if possible ).
You'll probably find that you run more slowly on a softer surface. Grass and sand sink when feet make contact, which means it takes more time and force to lift the leg again.
Some athletes train on sand, as it is more challenging for joints, muscles and tendons than a harder surface.
Javelin throwing
Question - can you throw a longer javelin further than a shorter javelin?
Make paper javelins and throw them to investigate how different factors affect the flight of a javelin.
Shot put skills
Question - can you throw a heavier ball further than a lighter ball?
Perfect shot put technique using different balls. Some will be easier to throw than others.
Catapult a basketball into a hoop STEM challenge
We created a mini basketball hoop and then tried to catapult a ping point ball through the hoop. It might look easy, but it was very tricky and led to lots of chat about force and trajectory.
Mini trampoline jumpers
Question - does a marble jump further if it is dropped onto a mini trampoline from a greater height?
Cover a paper or plastic cup with a balloon skin to make a mini trampoline.
Drop small pom poms from different heights to find out if they jump higher when dropped from a greater height.
Another idea is to investigate different trampoline surfaces to find out which gives the best bounce.
The best temperature for a football
Question - does temperature affect the bounce of a ball?
Place a football in the fridge for about 2 hours. Test to see how bouncy it is. Let the ball warm up and test it again!
Higher temperatures lead to greater air pressure, as when air is warm, the gas molecules have more energy and move further apart, which increases the pressure inside the ball.
At a lower temperature, gas molecules move closer together and move around more slowly. This reduces the pressure inside the ball and lessens the bounce!
Bouncing balls
Question - does shape affect how well a ball bounces?
Find out which balls bounce the best with a simple science activity using different shapes and sizes of balls.
Test reaction time
Reaction time is the time it takes for a person to respond to a stimulus. You can test your reaction time using a ruler.
More Olympic themed science activities for kids
Find out how exercise affects heart rate by measuring heart rate before and after exercise.
Red Ted Art has some fantastic Olympic themed crafts and activities.
Playtivities has some brilliant ideas for making your own garden summer Olympic games.
Design a relay baton, thinking about how you could make it less likely to drop out of the runner's hands.
Try one of my easy football themed STEM challenges.
Make your own surfboard with a lolly stick powered by surface tension.
JDaniel4's Mom has a brilliant static electricity Olympic flame activity.
Can you think of any more Olympic themed science activities for us?
Last Updated on July 23, 2024 by Emma Vanstone
Leave a Reply